Railway-switch



(No Model.)

E. M. POULIN 8L H. F. EATON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Mar .THE mums mms co.. Ptdcmumo. wAsMmuYoN. D:

"raras FFC@ Artnr EDMOND M. P OLlN, OF BOSTON ,'AND HOWARD F. EATON,`OF QNCY,`

MASSACHUSETTS. Y

RAI LWAY'- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. v601,382, dated March 29, 1898.

Application filed August 2, 1897l To @ZZ whom t may con/cern,.-

Be it known that we, EDMOND M. PoULIN, residing in Boston, county of Suffolk, and HOWARD F. EATON, residing in Quincy, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway- Switches; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our in'vention relates to an improvement in switchesfor streetrailways, although the same may, if desired, be used on any system of railways.

The object of our invention is to provide a switch that is self-cleaning in its movement and also to provide an automatic device that will keep the tongue of the switch in such a position as to cause a moving car coming onto the switch to turn to the right and allow a car coming in the opposite direction to pass by and over the switch, as upon a turnout of a single-track road. The bed of the switch is made` at on its upper surface, so that the movement `of the tongue acts as a brush and removes all dirt, stones, or other obstructions, thereby rendering it impossible to lill up and clog itself.

Figure l is a top or plan view of a singletrack road, showing a turnout and switch in its normal position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view with part of the cover of the springbox broken away. Fig. 3 vis a section on line 3 3. Fig. 4 isa section on line 4 4, Fig. 2, and looking toward the right. Fig. 5 is a'section on line 5 5, Fig. 2, and looking toward the right. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6, Fig. 4, and shows the spring mechanism for throwing the switch into its normal position.

As shownin Fig. 1, A is the switch-with its accompanying frog A', and B B are the rails of the main track, while the branch or turnout rails are designated as B2 B3.

It will be seen that the casting of the bed of the switch A has secured upon its upper surface a flat steel plate a, upon which the wheel of the car travels, and also supports the tongue C, which is pivoted on the bed-plate a at the point a.

It will be seen as a car approaches the switch Serial No. 646,772. (No model.)

the wheel D issupporting the car upon its treadc. As the car continues forward on the decline a3 the flange a4 comes in contact with the bed a, as at the point a5, and thereby transfers the weight of the car from the tread to the flange of the wheel without any perceptible jar. As the car proceeds forward `the flange of the wheel D will come in contact with the switch C, thereby guiding it to the right `until the flange of thev opposite wheel D' is by the point a6 on the branch rail B3, which now becomes the guiding-wheel and guides the wheel D,traveling on its flange,

toward the incline alot the branch rail B2,

and when the wheel D comes in contact with the incline al of the branch rail B2, as shown at the point as, the weight of the car is transferred back from the flange of the wheel a4 to its tread a2, and the car is now side-tracked. -A car coming in the opposite direction on the rails B B will when the ange of the forwardl The spring-tension mechanism is inclosed ina box b, secured by suitable bolts to the under side of the bed of the switch, and has an opening o' on one side and level with the street tol give access to the box.

To prevent water from entering, a watertight cover b2 is provided and also a loose cover b3 level with the street.

Pivoted in the box, as at b4, is a right-angle shaft b5, which extends up and through a stuifing-boX o6 and has forming part of it an arm 197, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which engages with the tongue C, as at bs. The lower end of the shaft b5 is made square-shaped, and

upon that part is secured an arm b9, having' pivoted on its outer end a'plunger-arm Z910, encircled by a spring 1912, fastened at the outer end Z913 and loose at its opposite end Z914, but bearing against-the stationary projection Z215. It will thus be seen that a movement of the IOO tongue in the direction of the arrow 10 will compress the spring Z112, which is of sufficient strength to return the tongue to its normal position.

As the wheel of the car travels from the point a3 to that at a7 it will be readily seen. that the necessity of a rail is dispensed with, thus leaving the bed open on that side, removing the chances of filling in and making the switch inoperative. In its normal position it rests against the flange c, so as to provide a rigid backing for the tongue when the iiange of a car-wheel strikes it before turning off on l the turnout.

The tongue in its normal position is over considerably more than is actually required to guide a car onto the side track, thus obviating the possibility of a car going to the left, as would be the result lin using the pointed switch. The tongue being the full width throughout its length prevents the tongue from being sprung, as is often the result with narrow-pointed tongues. v

It is obvious that the spring-tension device could be omitted and the switch used in the ordinary manner.

Ve claiml. The combination, in a railway-switch, of i a fiat bed-plate, with the rails ending on the bed, and having a decline on their upper surfaces, from a point commencing where they* lap on the plate, to their extreme ends, andix a tongue made on a decline from a point loe-E tween the pivot a to its free end, and a flange made a part of the switch-bed to limit the; movement of the tongue, substantially as dei scribed.

2. The combination, in a railway-switch, of i a flat bed-plate, with the rails ending on the bed, and having a decline on their upper surfaces from a point commencing from Wherel they lap on the plate to their extreme ends, and a tongue made the same width throughout, and also made on a decline from a point between the pivot 0. to its free end, and a flange made a part of the switch-bed to limit the movement of the tongue, substantially as Y flange, made a part of the switchfbed, to limit the movement of the tongue, which is held against the flange by'a right-angle shaft, pivoted in the box, and at its lower end a lever connecting With a plunger encircled with a spring from which the necessary tension is obtained, substantially as described.

1. The combination, in a railway-switch, of a Hat bed-plate, with the rails ending on the bed, and having a decline on their upper surn faces, from a point commencing Where they lap on the plate, to their eXtreme ends, and a tongue made on a decline, from a'point between the pivot a to its free end, and a iiange made a part of the switch-bed, to limit the movement of the tongue, which is held against the flange by a right-angle shaft pivoted in the box, and at its lower end is a lever connecting with a plunger encircled with a spring, from which the necessary tension is obtained, substantially as described.

EDMOND M. POULIN. HOWARD F. EATON. VVitn esses:

CHAs. HALEY, CHARLES F. MORRILL. 

